Tube-deflating machine



' Jan. 31, 1928.

J. WAHL ET AL TUBE DEFLATING MACHINE Filed March 13. 1926 Fly. 3.

INVENTORS yon 5W Wamd/ By Attorneys, WW

Patented Jan. 31, .1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WAI-IL AND OTTO MELZEB, OFBOROUGI-I OF QUEENS, NEW YORK, ASSEGNOBST0 AVSCHRADERS SON, ING, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

Application filed March 13, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in tube deflating machines andhas for its primary object the provision of mechanism which eliminatesthe use of spreading devices or other mechanical means for holding theopposite walls of the tube spaced apart at the foot of the tube valve,whereby to insure complete removal of the air from the tube aftermanufacture and inspection thereof and preparatory to packing formarket.

According to the present invention we provide a supportingdevice orsaddle for the pneumatic tube ofthe general forms disclosed in thepatents to Kraft, Nos. 1,297,- 186, 1.405.230 and 1,408.099, the lattertwo of which disclose means which depend, as does the preferredembodiment of this in vention, upon the action of gravity to causecollapsing of the tube walls. However, instead of providing mechanicalspreader means for holding the tube walls spaced apart at the foot ofthe valve casing, we

provide an improved support and engaging.

means for the tube at the footof the valve casing. By virtue of saidarrangement of parts, the walls of the tube at the foot of the valvecasing are prevented from completely collapsing when the tube as a wholeis collapsed by the gravity activated means and simultaneously with thecollaps ing of the tube, the tube valve thereof is unseated by a valveopening means. Preterably the interior of the tube at said time isplaced through the valve casing thereof in communication with a suctionmeans for withdrawing the air from the tube.

A preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein,

Figure 1 is a transverse section of the de vice taken along the lines1--1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in the preceding figures.

Referring to the drawings let A indicate a tube support or saddle whichis in the form of a transversely arched sheet metal band over which thetube to be deflated is adapted to be mounted, said support being furtheradapted to co-opcrate with expanding means, which, upon being expandedagainst the inner periphery of the tube, cause the walls of'the tube tocollapse. The tube is preferably so mounted that simul- TUBE-DEFLATINGMACHINE.

Serial No. 94,625.

deflating devices of the type herein die closed are radially mountedabout a central standard and in communication with a common suctionpump, which arrangementpermits a single workman to progressively handlea. large number of tubes, since it will be understood that by the t me atube mounted' on one support or saddle is wholly deflated. the workmanwill have been able to mount for deflation a tube on each of theremaining supports of the battery.- A tube deflating machine of thisgeneral type is described in detail in the Kraft Patent No. 1,297.186.

According to the present invention we completely do away with allmechanical means or'spreader devices for holding thetube walls separatedat the foot of the valve casing during the deflatingoperation. This weaccomphsh by supporting or engagmg the tube on its side wall at thepoint adjacent the valve casing, which is received within the socketmember 0, the tube being so supported that when the expanding means areexpanded against the inner periphery of the tube to collapse the wallsthereof, the

tube in collapsed condition will have its wall at a pointadjacent thefoot portion of the valve casing overlying and in spaced relation tosaid foot portion. In Fig.1 the tube in collapsed form is shown indotted linesas assuming a substantially semi-circular or concave form,while the remaining portion of the tube assumes a fiat collapsedcondition about the expanding means, as shown in 9.. It will also beseen that the walls of the tube adjacent the foot portion of the valvecasing are somewhat twisted, which also causes them to remain spacedapart. To facilitate this action we mount a valve casing supportingmember F upon the support 7 or saddle A, said member F being formed witha longitudinal groove G, the base of which is inclined toward the centerline or median plane of the support or saddle. At the base or lower endof the inclined member the socket member C is secured in such positionthatits axis will coincide with the mgitudinal axis of the valve casingB when supported upon the inclined surface of the member F. To furtherinsure the proper positioning of the tube on the support or saddle weprefer to mount thereon at. a point- .ransversely opposite the member Fan auxiiiary tube supporting member H, the top faceii of which isinclined in the same general direction as the inclined face on themember F, as will be best understood, from ..n inspection of Fig. 1.

As herein shown, the member F is in the form of a casting bolted to thetop of the support A, and the member H in the form of a sheet metal bandbent into suitable form and also secured to the top of the member Atransversely opposite and preferably in alignment with the member F. Itwill be understood, however, that both these elements may be formedintegrally and either as a casting or entirely 0t sheet metal. It isalso to be understood that the angularity of the inclined surface on themembers F and H are merely illustrative of an arrangement of partswhereby the objects of the invention can be accomplished.

The expanding means for collapsing the walls of the tube may be of anypreferred form, and as herein shown are the same as disclosed in thepatent to Kraft, 1,408,099, dated February 28, 1922. Said means consistsof the saddle A having straight legs j, 7" arranged in reversed relationto A and mounted to slide up and down with respect to A. The member J ispreferably guided in its upward and downward movements by a pair oftubular guides K, K which are held at their upper ends with a crosspiece L. The member J is provided with rods 7' and j which slide in thetubes K, K respectively, the weight of the member J and its sides androds j, j, 7' 7' is hence practically available to secure the propertension on the tube. Means are provided for collapsing the expansibledevice, and as herein shown comprise a lever M pivoted to a plate Nwhich is best formed as an integral part of a sector 0. The lever M isconnected to the member J by a rod P, which, when the lever is movedupwardly, elevates the member J to its fully collapsed position. Theweight of the lever and connecting rod P also add to theefi'ectiveweight of the member J. Means are also provided whereby the device maybe forcibly expanded and held in expanded position. This may beaccomplished by a downward pressure upon the lever M, and the device maybe held in its expanded position by a pin Q which engages teeth R formedon the sector 0. \Vhen the tube is fully deflated the lever may bepushed slightly to the left to disengage the pin (Q, from the teeth It,the parts being suiliciently loose to permit this. Means are alsoprovided for holding the member J in its upward or collapsed positionduring theoperation of taking 011' the deflated tube and adjustinganother in place. To this end there is provided a pin S which is mountedin l'ixed position and'a pin T which is adapted to engage the pin 5.This engagement may be made by shifting the lever to the right slightly,whereu 'ion the two pins ongage. They may be disengaged by a reversemovement.

In the operation of the device the tube is mounted over the auxiliarysupport H, the support or saddle A and the member J of the expandingmeans when in collapsed position with the valve casing 13 seating in thegroove G of the inclined member F and with one side wall ot the tubeadjacent the valve ens-in B seating upon the inclined surface a. lfponoperation of the expanding means: the member J permitted to drop by theaction of gravity whereupon the tube as a whole is orawn dowmvardly, thevalve casing B is also drawn rh'm'nwardly over the incline of the memberl3. and the valve within the casing is imscated by the valve opener 0within the socket C. Simultaneously with this oporation the walls of thetube are collapsed, thereby forcing the air therefrom through the openvalve and tube D and co-operating with the suction device to completelywithdraw all the air from the tube. \Vhen the tube is completelydeflated, thelever is elevatcd to collapse the device, the tube re movedtherefrom and packed for market.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of ourinvention, we do not. wish to be limited to the specific con struct-iondisclosed. since modifications thereof may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. A. tube deflating mechanism comprising a support for a pneumatictube, means for receiving a tube valve casing and unseating the valvetherein, means for exhausting the air from the tube through the valvecasin and means for causing that part of the wall of the tube at a pointadjacent the foot of the valve casing to overlie said footin spacedrelation thereto.

2. A tube deflating mechanism comprising a saddle upon which a pneumatictube or the like can be mounted, and a socket member adapted to receiveand open the tube valve when the tube is mounted on the saddle, thesocket being offset to one side of the median plane ot the saddle.

3. A tube deflating mechanism comprising a saddle upon which a pneumatictube or the like can be mounted. and a socket member adapted to receiveand open the tube valve when the tube is mounted on the saddle, the axisof the socket being inclined to the median plane of the saddle.

4. A tube deflating mechanism comprising a saddle for a pneumatic tubeor the like, means for supporting the valve casing of the tube ininclined position'transversely of the saddle, and means for unseatingthe tube valve when the tube is mounted on the sadtile.

5. A tube deflating mechanism comprising a support for a pneumatic tubeor the like, a member having an inclined wall disposed transversely ofsaidsupport, a socket mem her at the lower end of said inclined wall anda tube valve unseating device in said socket member. 7

6. A tube deflating mechanism comprising a support for a pneumatic tubeor the like, means for supporting the valve casingin inclined positiontransversely of the support and for supporting the side wall of the tubeadjacent the valve casing when the valve casing is placed in itssupporting means, and

'"- means connecting with a suction device,

adapted to receive the free end of the valve casing and unseat the valvetherein.

7. A tube deflating mechanism comprising a member having an inclinedtransverse Wall adapted to support a pneumatic tube or the like on itsside wall, at a point adjacent its valve casing, and a socket memberlaterally offset from the first member and extending transverselythereto for laterally receiving the valve casing of the tube andunseating the tube valve therein. I

8. A tube deflating mechanism comprising means for supportinga pneumatictube or the like on itsside wall adjacentits valve casing, means adaptedto be arranged within the supporting means and expanded against theinner peripheryof the tube to collapse the tube, and a socket memberofiset to one side of the supporting means adapted to receive the valvecasing and open the valve therein as the expanding means are expanded.

9. A tube deflating mechanism comprising means for supporting apneumatic tube or the like on its side adjacentits valve casing, meansadapted to be expanded against the inner periphery of the tube tocollapse the walls thereof, whereby the tube in collapsed condition willhave its walls adjacent the foot portion of the valve casing somewhattwisted, causing them to remain spaced apart, and means connecting witha suction device, adapted to receive the free end of the valve casingand unseat the valve therein.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto signed our names.

JOHN WAHL. OTTO MELZER.

